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A love to be jealous of
Two enemies that could only be together bc of amnesia, and yes it's the first time I come across the amnesia trope almost 3 times and I loved it!JinAn/Annan/Man in black:
Cheng Lei ate all three roles with Jin An being my favourite. He is a dream boyfriend, his love is shown, not just articulated and, even when he was ruthless Annan, the writer made sure we know that Jin An is Annan and his principles are the same, it was never an act. He showed his prowess as a general, his etiquette as a prince, his affection as a brother even when he was Jin An with lost memories. And the Man in black is the alter ego, justice fighter that protects the world. All the personas merged into one at the end and you wouldn't wish for anything else
Li Shuang:
Song Yi is an underrated actress. She personified a role that had a job: she works as a general but she is also a woman, a lover, a human, a sister and a daughter, an adopted orphan thoughout the story(and not some long lost princess).She is amazing and her tears, her pain, her cries ripped my heart in the last 10 episodes. I mean I was literally crying for the duration of almost 8 hours, her acting is that good. And gosh how moist her eyes are, I'm jealous. Her relationship with Jin An was a revelation to witness bc she is us, every woman in the throes of love, flirting and being happy. And she didn't turn into a puddle when she found out he's her enemy. Captured, she delivered acid and sparred with him as equals, and you could see her heart breaking. It was so real you could almost hear the sound of it.
Chemistry:
100% achieved. The actors are familiar with each other and at times I got the feeling sth's underfoot. Lots of hugs, Cheng Lei's sculpted torso, lots of kisses and heart eyes. There wasn't any real skinship but we were delivered the BEST ending in cdrama so far so I won't whine, there's still hope in the industry
Friendship, family, death:
The fist ever drama where the ML forms a FRIENDSHIP with two of FL's friends, loses one and MOURNS her! We got a mourning scene of both the ML and the FL, her death wasn't brushed off with a nod, they cried for her! Also we witnessed the ritual of her father's funeral, so touching and real, I didn't know I needed to see it till I did!
Now her father is the best father in all cdrama land and he is not her read father. She is adopted and here we see a man RESPECTING his daughter! Have you ever heard of that before?
Her brother starts as a brat who grows into an adult and with him our FL grows too into a better sister.
Secondary characters:
Yes, and they move the plot forward each in their own way and have their own merit, they are very important and there wouldn't be a story or plot without them. Watch it and you'll see
Ending:
The last 10 episodes achieved what nth so far in cdramas has been achieved: an escalated interest, a gradual peak in the plot that kept you glued to your seat, waiting anxiously for the next episodes to drop and a constant ache in the heart. I couldn't stop crying, it was so painful till the all inclusive happy ending(and what a happy ending!) that I knew right there and then why all the previous episodes were so sweet and romantic:To FEEL their love, not just witness it. To BE Li Shuang, to experience it ourselves, to get in her shoes so it's us that are BETRAYED by fate, it's us who lose the love of their lives. Bravo writer!You have my tears and my heart. And 10 stars.
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THE BEST CHINESE DRAMA EVER!
The storyline is interesting. This drama has a sense of humour in it so you wont feel bored. You can laugh many times just watching it. Sometimes you will feel sad, happy, and you will experience mixed emotions in this drama.Male lead deserved my credit. He portrayed his character so fantastic and extremely good. He can convey his feeling through his expressions and voices. He has so soothing voice that makes his character suited him perfectly. His expression is priceless and just on point. His acting undoubtedly excellent.
Female lead absolutely a stunning beauty. Among the actresses i have watched, she is the most beautiful FL as if i see a breathtaking view by just seeing her. Her acting deserved credit also.
I missed them badly after this drama ended. They did a very good job on this drama. Will miss you Wang Ye and Wang Fei.
Recommendedly watching! Happy watching guys.
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This review may contain spoilers
A bit cringe, a bit drama and much fluff...
The most amazing thing about this series is, that it's a japanese/thai co-production, even when filmed in Thailand, everyone except "Junji" is thai.The start is rough with the subtitles, but it got better with ep 5... The first episodes are easy to follow even when you don't know exactly what they say, but everyone should get the gist of it. This story is similar to "Our Dating Sim" but with major differences. First the company is much bigger, second the couple did not meet in school, but through a game, even when that is not obvious for some time.
While a japanese production it follows the thai forumla, which means a bit of cringe and funny scenes which are not that funny in my eyes. But overall they did have a good story (not a stellar one), good character progression and even the "side couple" had ample of screentime and did not feel like an afterthought. The only sad point was, that Fluke resembled his acting in UWMA but his character was much stronger and focused. He did a good job and of course he did not need to cry every episode.
Interesting the main couple did not have any BL experience before this series and for their first outing they did exceptionally well. Hill (March Chutavuth Pattarakhumphol) is an inspired game designer who finally lands his dream job and Junji (Mukai Koji) is the CEO of the thai branch of a japanese gaming company and the only japanese working there. The writing of their characters was well done and they gradually show other sides of themselves and reveal that they are not as stereotypical as I have expected them to be from the first two episodes. They grow together in a mature slow way and both overcome their past trauma through trust.
The side couple has the veterans Judo (as Bay) & Fluke (as Phat) and both seem to have fun with their roles. While Bay is a game designer with a big ego and portraited as womanizer, Phat is reserved but a focused chef. Both couples find together due to the research there are doing for their new game which is a dating game but the main characters of said game are only boys. While Junji & Phat are obvioously gay, the other two characters seemed not to be, but this is not the typical hetero to gay trope. Bay sees/feels something in Phat he never felt before and Hill recognizes whom he loved all along (I will not spoil that to you). The only negative is the forced drama in the end, which is imho too much thai influence. They could have solved that in a better way in a less dramatic way.
We will see the side-couple hopefully again, because they announced a second season of "Make a Wish". Koji (Junji) will be back in a BL movie "Love Song" (https://kisskh.at/782204-love-song) this year which is also a japanese/thai co-production playing in Thailand and Japan but sadly with another actor but who look very similar to March (Hill) imho.
The production was good, the actors were good and the vibe was good. I don't know why, but I felt happy watching this. So I see no reason why you should not to watch this series imho.
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Like chewing gum...
It started out kind of fun, an easy watch with a pretty cool female lead and good looking cast. There was a slight stiff awkward yet playful vibe to the story and most of the characters as well. Entertaining as long as you don´t care about logic, because well there is none. While most of the story and quality is inconsistent there is one thing that never fails and that is the lack of logic in the plot.There are of course some well loved drama cliches, and an abundance of umbrellas but as the episodes passed by I realised that the awkwardness that worked so well in the beginning was actually just lack of direction and/or talent from the leads. Add to that the plot just goes meeh, the slight build up of the first episodes just goes flat there is nothing really interesting to see there and while there are a few cute lines and smiles here and there it all just went bland... like the drama got covid and kept trying all kinds of flavours but had lost all sense of taste... Just like chewing gum bursting with flavour the first 2 minutes untill it slowley turs in turns to this tasteless mass you may be able to make bubbles out of but the falvour is gone...
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Now the series itself: I love how this series actually is different from what I've been watching its so cute. A pet shop owner falling in love with an author and how their love transpires over the course of the series, it has a little fluffy tone to itself and it is a more fluff based series. The characters were very entertaining, the friendship inside all of it was really nice. Most BL series are high school, a little dark, and little weird and normally just end sad or have an overly gripping story line that yeah you can relate to but seems to become the same staple for a series/movies like how car accidents or getting ran over is the staple in most k-dramas, that doesn't mean that I'm dismissing those staples because many of great works have those. This story line is still relatable, the conflicts are what people have gone through, still go through, and is still alive with others today it. I love the rising actions that take place, I got irritated with Liang Ze of course because most bottoms bother me in BL stuff but his character is a little different than most bottoms. I love the dialogue it's lighthearted and fun, the music was well placed for certain scenes, flat out i would recommend this as a nice beak away from a very serious show that you may have watched.
Now I don't give it praise, but i cant bash it either. Definitely, I love the fact that it's lighthearted and that it ends on a sweet note : (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywqp4Ve7qX8) (I do apologize that this has no subs but it's the ending part where someone mentioned that this is one of the BL series that ends happy) but truthfully the reason why i wouldn't give it all 10's is because the story line was simplistic the scenes weren't edgy and it didnt have as many transitions that reopened some foreshadowing in the series to uncover tension or a surprise for the viewers but honestly you don't need that all the time; a simply, delightful story structure goes a long way people. The series is really sweet but not like Moon Lovers, it's not like Diary of Tootsies, it's a short collection of episodes that you can watch when you cant decide on what to watch. It's really cute but then again everyone this is just an overall outlook from my perspective, my opinions. Some from a collective selections of other reviews and my knowledge gained from watching the series.
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If your favorite character is Ayan, do not watch this
The scriptwriters of The Eclipse are consistent in their efforts to bend characters until they fit into clichéd tropes. They did it in the last four or five episodes of the series, and they are doing it here again.In just two episodes, they managed to completely destroy Ayan's character, presenting him as extremely self-centered. What? Ayan, who spent all of The Eclipse trying to protect people from the curse, who understood Akk and did everything he could to help him, who supported Thua like a great friend, is self-centered? Give me a break.
Furthermore, Akk is now a person who cares too much about others. Really, scriptwriters? Akk, who almost killed his schoolmates to prove that he is a good student prefect and get a scholarship, cares too much about others? I think you are a little confused. Did you forget which one of your characters is Ayan and which one is Akk?
The destruction of the main characters aside, these two episodes were not bad. The great acting and FirstKhao's amazing chemistry made them an enjoyable watch. Khan, Thua, their friends, and Teacher Sani are all here to make fans of The Eclipse happy.
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Save yourselves the time and watch the Untamed again
What did I just watch? I'll save everyone the effort, the endiong is a massive cop-out. The things I waste hours of my life on, for Wang Yibo. That is all. The plot was incoherent, Yibo is in it for about ten minutes and it is clearly a body double with strategic camera angling for the rest. Suuuuper disappointing air styling, problematic storyline aspects, cringey overall. The things we do for our biases. I loooooveeee Yibo but whew. Grab yourself a drink for this one. Seriously.Was this review helpful to you?
1realistic and well done
Overall: if the premise/summary isn't your thing, I encourage you to watch at least thru episode 4 because this story is like an onion with layers. 8 episodes total about 45 minutes each, 2 aired per week on GMMTV's YouTube Channel (also Disney+Hotstar in some countries).Content Warnings: manhandling, homophobia, death, grief
What I Liked
- Li Ming and Heart were the cutest cinnamon rolls
- Wen was direct and communicated what he wants
- felt realistic which matches the setting/story (i.e. the actors faces have visible sweat and aren't airbrushed/filtered to oblivion)
- touched on power/class differences, poverty, marriage inequality/legal inequality
- step parent shown to be caring and supportive
- Gaipa's mom
- hints about future plot elements
- realistic response with Li Ming and his mom
- avoided a cliche plot point towards the end, characters had good communication
- production value* (music, cinematography - that long take/no cut shot at the beginning of episode 1 part 1 was cool)
Room For Improvement
- several scenes were a little too dim* and the camera is too shaky sometimes
- not a fan of some of the music choices, at one point there was an accordion
- how Uncle Jim himself and other characters talk about him being old when the actor Earth is 28 (and most definitely does not look old)
- each episode appears to skip a month however because we don't see montages or dates it doesn't always feel like that much time has passed
- wish it had been Gaipa that initiated things after the time jump
- I understand them not subtitling what Heart was saying in the beginning to show how Li Ming didn't understand but it was frustrating when they continued to not subtitle everything he was saying later on
- it was not Jim's place to tell the mom about Li Ming, it should have been Li Ming's choice
- I don't agree that "deaf people are the loneliest people" which is a line a character said
- good that actual consequences were shown for drunk driving
- the series title "Moonlight Chicken"
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A love story that makes sense.
There were a few epic love stories I watched where the leads are willing to sacrifice themselves for the person they love but I sometimes wonder why and how did they even fall in love in the first place.This is not the case in The Legend of Shen Li. This forbidden love story is beautiful, compelling, sexy and we as viewers saw how it unfolded every step of the way. The progress of their love takes center stage and it just made sense why they fell for each other even when the whole world was against it.
The story is simple with a sprinkle of plotting and scheming and the leads are so adorable together. Loving it.
UPDATE SPOILER: Just completed this amazing drama. They gave us AN EPISODE of their happily ever after and it is what I NEEDED.
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gorgeous vistas, underwhelming script (watch suggestions)
Overall: I enjoyed the countryside setting/cinematography and it was okay as a coming of age series but failed with the romance aspect. See my spoiler comment for how it ends which might help you decide if you want to start it. The series was based on a book which I haven't read and I reviewed the series on its own merits. 7 episodes about 40 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/5169/lost-in-the-woods-2025-e01 and Viu.Content Warnings: past slap, alcoholism?, animal death, blood, non con kiss
Watch Suggestions (to focus on the romance aspect)
- watch episode 1
- skip episode 2
- episode 3 watch 3-5:30, 22-32:30, 39-47
- episode 4 watch 11:45-12:30, 19-24:30 and 26:30-40
- episode 5 watch 4:30-9:30 and 17:30-end
- episode 6 start at 16 minutes or if not interested in the het side couple skip to 28 minutes and watch until 30:30, 34:25-end
- episode 7 watch 9:30-16, 29:20-41:45, stop there and pretend they had a totally consensual kiss
What I Liked
- setting/vistas
- black nail polish
- Fifa is shown to be musically talented and academically intelligent
- clear premise
- two supportive female friends
- that Fifa stayed true to himself/his life goals
- production value (cinematography*)
Room for Improvement
- starting with a flash forward/voice over though at least it was just 2 days in advance and not months or years
- a parent acted comical in a scene where it seemed they were going for serious/angsty in episode 1
- episode 2 a character had so much flack for total nonsense stuff
- the grandma's plan didn't make sense, she should have eased him into things, I'm sure she was not staying in that type of accommodation and she chose the most prickly person to be his guide?!!!
- the scholarship application timeline seems a bit late compared to what it would be in the real world but I didn't deduct points for it
- not much chemistry, just started in episode 4 but they didn't even have a scene together until 16 minutes into episode 6
- *some night scenes were too dark
- what happened at the end of episode 4
- the ex plot took up way too much screentime, in episode 5 it was 10 out of 43 minutes or about 25% of the screentime!
- in episode 6 how Hem apologized for doing his job and Fifa was immature
- the non con kiss and how they never properly communicated
Note: in the series the younger guy Fifa graduated high school so the character should be 18 (played by Ton who is 25); they said that Hem is 30 (played by Arm who is 30). I did not have any issue with the age gap between the characters in the series.
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No story... just a well made soft porn...
There is not much to say about this...The two special episodes don't have a worthwile story, there is just forced drama. At least compared to the series there are no violent scenes, there is consent and the couple talks. So this couple just works... also with their chemistry together.
Production quality went above and beyond, but everything else was just a soft porn with some interludes. Beautiful pictures, lot's of NC scenes - a dream come true for all the fangirls out there. So, if you liked the "My Stubborn" series you will definitively like this. But my best friends was the +10s skip button. 🤣
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A Giant in Acting and Cinematography for the genre
Acting wise, I think most actors here are picked for their acting skills rather than looks alone. Rarely seen a cast so complete with great actors. Yang Mi surprises me but I am happy she has a breakthrough. She looks more beautiful here than in all those Xianxia dramas she was in. Ou Hao is new to me. I almost can’t believe that such fine actor exists. Raw. Tan. Simpleton facial features but with a beautiful smile and dimples. Bulky yet not gym- like muscular. So real. As for cinematography, you have to watch it to love it. So authentic.Storyline. The drama didn’t hesitate to tell the story as how they imagine life to be like in the day. Not everyone ends up with a good ending. Even though it was unfair eg Susu’s case, that’s how we think would be the story for her. The only part I didn’t like was NiWei coming back as a Japanese traitor. Too typical and predictable. He should just be written off as a bandit and end up being rounded up since he kind of supported what his dad was doing. He was old enough to understand unlike this little brother who ended up growing into a good person. The older actors especially the mum in law is of another level. Her every movement, voice , accent, actions are so well done. She deserves an award. The father is a well known actor. So no surprises. But the father in law was a pleasant surprise . He started as a selfish greedy person but as the drama unfolds he is pretty endearing. His death was so emotional. I even look up the actor profile to check his past works. Small eyes with gigantic expressions. The farming story he told before dying is a classic.
It’s so scary to see how they lived so poorly. Yet it’s heartwarming at the same time to see them happy when the land is doing well. Things we take for granted like safe home, clean food and water, machines to help our chores were non existent. How the entire family agree or disagree over little things like buying a cow is priceless. Like their lifeline. Makes me want to visit and stay in one of these farms. They should use the set for eco tourism.
Overall super well done. Deserve many awards including one for Yang Mi. Such great acting overall.
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Simple 'Friends with benefits' but deep
Plus for little bit of LGBT, acting and realism. There was a tense atmosphere all the time so you could get into the action. The drama is really very good and even the fact that it is a mini drama is a plus. In my opinion, if it was a full drama, it would not give such an effect, because they would probably add other storylines. Sometimes I didn't understand the characters' behavior in certain situations, but I do realize that everyone is different than they react differently. As well as the action finally seemed shortened to me (although I suspect that there will be a second season). Nevertheless, I recommend it (as one of the few, I read reviews now ...)Was this review helpful to you?
I must say that since 2013 seems to be a melodrama year, I felt like this drama would just be one of those "melodramas" of the year. But boy was I wrong. From the very first episode you get pulled in and the drama becomes a straight 10/10 ride all the way to the end. There were times when you thought like "omg will he really succeed in doing this?" or "omg will they find out his real identity?" etc. It was like watching a suspense movie that constantly held you sitting on the edge of your seat, and at the same time it had those cute and romantic moments where you feel as if the time had stopped for our main characters and you get drowned in all the emotions. But the plot is not the only amazing thing about this story, what both amazed me and surprised me where the characters, or to be more precise, the actors and actresses. Jo In Sung was simply pure epicness in this drama. He did an amazing job portraying Oh Soo, a man with many sides, a man who both hated and loved life. Song Hye Kyo was just....wow O_O. No comments, seriously. She shun in this drama so much that it made me speechless. She played the role of a blind girl so well, that I had to check as I watched the drama if she wasn't actually blind in real life O_O. How did she manage to play it so well? It looked so real....just wow. She seriously deserves an award for her acting. Last but not least, how can we talk about TWTWB without mentioning the other two "main characters" played by Jung Eun Ji and Kim Bum. If Jo In Sung's and Song Hye Kyo's acting and chemistry didn't blow my mind completely, then this couple certainly did! I shipped this couple like crazy! I'm not even joking. I loved their craziness, their jokes, their chemistry, the way they looked at each other....gah just everything about them made me fangirl. Not to mention that Kim Bum rocked the red hair and looked super-sexy as a rebellious guy in his late teens/early 20's.
ENDING: Some people were a bit disappointed with the ending since it felt a bit rushed and unexpected, but I personally loved it. I think the ending was perfect and if you look into more detail around it, it didn't just come out out of the blue. Withing spoiling anything for the viewers who haven't seen this drama, all I can say is that I felt that the ending fit this kind of genre of drama. Oh Soo played a dangerous game, which could mean death to both him and the people close to him and in that kind of gambling-gangster-business having to deal with decisions such as "is it worth risking the lives of the people I love just to gain this?" is a everyday life-style. So, to be completely honest the decision Kim Bum's character decided to take didn't surprise me to 100% but at the same time it was "expected either" it was somewhere in between, like you could see it happening but at the same time you wished that it wouldn't. I know that some people had hoped for a happy lovey-dovey ending, but this was a sad story about the value of life, guilt and promises and I think the ending was the perfect cherry to top the cake known as That Winter, the Wind Blows.
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